As Vancouver continues to push for more hotels, developers are answering the call. The City continues to receive a steady stream of rezoning applications for new hotels, the latest of which was published this week.
The subject site of the proposal is 888 W 8th Avenue, about midway between Laurel Street and Willow Street, and two blocks north of Vancouver General Hospital. The property is currently occupied by a low-rise office building originally constructed in 1973.
BC Assessment values the property, in an assessment dated to July 1, 2024, at $16,836,100 and the property is beneficially owned by Value Property Group through A.L. Sott (Laurel Medical) Inc.
The site falls within Uptown/Cambie North - Area A of the Broadway Plan and Value Property Group is seeking to rezone the site from C-3A (Commercial) to CD-1 (Comprehensive Development).
The 888 W 8th Avenue site, one block away from W Broadway and two blocks away from Vancouver General Hospital. / Formosis Architecture, Value Property Group
For the site, the developer is proposing a 16-storey tower with a maximum height of 167 ft and a density of 8.14 FSR. The project includes 62,742 sq. ft of hotel room space for 152 suites, plus 1,393 sq. ft of hotel support space. The suite mix is expected to include a combination of sizes with all units including a kitchen and appliances to support mid-to-long-term stays.
The hotel will also include 5,796 sq. ft of amenity space. Amenities are expected to include a bar with kitchen, a multi-purpose meeting room, workspaces, a fitness facility, and an outdoor amenity deck. The amenities will be located on the sixth floor and also on the roof of the building podium.
"Providing a hotel program in this location supports the Broadway plan's emphasis on Central Broadway as Vancouver's 'second downtown', entertainment & nightlife to the East, and the VGH healthcare hub to the South," said the developer in its rezoning application. "Proximity to Broadway will bring added tourism & activity to local retail that will benefit the broader community."
The 16-storey hotel proposed for 888 W 8th Avenue in Vancouver. / Formosis Architecture, Value Property Group
The 16-storey hotel proposed for 888 W 8th Avenue in Vancouver. / Formosis Architecture, Value Property Group
The proposal also includes 53 vehicle parking spaces in a single-level underground parkade, which will notably utilize vertical vehicle stacker systems accessible by car elevators at the rear lane.
"The proposal provides an opportunity to create a more complete and connected neighbourhood by enhancing the streetscape, increasing heights and densities, and maintaining Uptown as a prime supplier of job space," said the developer in its rezoning application. "Its location offers convenience to visitors and tourists, with direct access to the other districts."
"The preliminary design of the bar provides approximately 1,393 sf of interior space, and 240 SF of covered outdoor patio space," the application also said. "The location of the bar patio along W. 8th Avenue creates a reprieve and break from the heavy traffic on Broadway; it will provide opportunities for socializing and conversation outdoors, activating the ground-level experience while providing opportunities to access commercial uses at the street level."
The 16-storey hotel proposed for 888 W 8th Avenue in Vancouver. / Formosis Architecture, Value Property Group
The 16-storey hotel proposed for 888 W 8th Avenue in Vancouver. / Formosis Architecture, Value Property Group
"With a substantial lack of supply and variety of hotel availability, particularly in this area, this proposal continues the conversation of the Broadway Corridor’s significance, in this instance the densification of commercial and employment uses within the Uptown/Cambie North Area-A, with the intent of contributing to a more complete, walkable, and connected neighbourhood.'
The City of Vancouver received the rezoning application in May and will be hosting a Q&A period for the project from Wednesday, September 10 to Tuesday, September 23.
Other rezoning applications for new hotels in Vancouver include what would become the first mass timber hotel in Vancouver, as well as a 35-storey hotel and condo tower right next to Robson Square. The area around Vancouver General Hospital has also been a bit of a hotspot for hotel proposals, including a dual-brand project at 888 W Broadway and a 12-storey proposal at 901 W Broadway.
